1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of exercise equipment in which a movable carriage is utilized to at least partially support a user""s body, commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9creformerxe2x80x9d, and more particularly to a compact lightweight reformer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Joseph H. Pilates, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,621,477, originally developed the concept of using a wheeled platform carriage connected to a resistance device such as a set of weights in conjunction with a stationary frame to provide a variable resistance against which a user could push with his/her feet or pull with the arms while in a sitting or recumbent position in order to exercise the major muscle groups of the user""s trunk, legs and/or arms. Since that time many changes and improvements in the design of such an apparatus were developed by Joseph Pilates, and more recently, have been evolved by his students and others. U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,005 and my patents referred to above are representative of the current state of evolutionary development of these changes that have taken place since 1927.
The current conventional xe2x80x9creformerxe2x80x9d type apparatus includes a wheeled platform carriage, which rides on a rectangular wooden or metal frame. The above referenced patent discloses examples of wood framed reformers. An example of a metal frame reformer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,033 to Merrithew. The carriage, which rides on the frame, is connected to a series of parallel springs or elastic members, which are in turn connected to a foot end of the rectangular frame. The carriage typically rides on parallel rails or tracks typically mounted to the inside of the longer sides of the rectangular frame. This carriage has a flat, padded upper surface and typically includes a pair of spaced, padded, upright shoulder stops and a headrest at one end to support the shoulders and head of the user when he/she is reclined on the carriage. An adjustable foot bar, foot support, or footrest against which the user places his/her feet is mounted to the foot end of the rectangular frame. A spring support rod is positioned across the foot end between the tracks by a spring support bracket fastened to the frame. The rod typically fits in one of three or four recesses or slots in the support bracket, depending on the size or ability of the user. Alternatively, the spring support rod may be permanently fastened to the frame. The user can then push against the footrest to move the carriage along the track away from the footrest against spring tension to exercise the leg and foot muscle groups in accordance with prescribed movement routines. The carriage is prevented from moving close to the footrest by a stop pin typically fastened to the top of each track, against which the carriage abuts when the carriage is at rest. The maximum limit of carriage travel is provided by the headrest abutting the head end wall of the frame.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,338,276, 5,607,381 and 5,681,249 disclose reformers and several footrest arrangements and adjustable headrest assemblies for this type of exercise apparatus. One of the difficulties, which the currently available reformers do not optimally address, is the portablilty and storability of the apparatus. Accordingly there is a need for a reformer type of exercise apparatus that can be efficiently stored and transported without sacrificing such features as having an adjustable carriage and spring arrangement to accommodate extremes in physical body sizes as well as optimally position the carriage with respect to the footrests for user""s within the normal body size range. Another problem with the conventional design of reformers is that the reformer is relatively bulky, heavy, and takes up a substantial amount of floor area even when not in use. Most reformers have a footprint of about two feet by seven or eight feet. Therefore, in a class or studio setting a substantial amount of floor space must be allocated totally to the reformers. There is therefore a need for a reformer that can be compactly moved and stored when not in use.
Often a user may wish to take the reformer to different locations. Unfortunately for this purpose, most reformers currently available are heavy and are not designed to be easily transported. There is therefore also a need for a full performance reformer that has a frame design that can be easily dismantled and transported by one person and easily assembled for use.
In some situations the movable carriage on conventional reformers may tend to tilt upward from the rails upon which the carriage rides, as when a user improperly stands with one foot on the edge of the carriage and one foot on the frame. Accordingly there is also a need for a reformer apparatus that inherently securely retains the carriage on the tracks or rails while simultaneously permitting guided free movement of the carriage along the rails against spring tension.
The reformer exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention addresses the above-identified limitations in conventional reformer designs. The present invention is an exercise apparatus, which comprises a wheeled carriage having a generally flat top surface. The carriage is movably mounted on parallel track members of a generally rectangular frame, which has a head end and a foot end. The carriage has a pair of upwardly extending shoulder stops mounted thereto at one end and a headrest between the shoulder stops that extends outward from the carriage toward the head end of the frame. A plurality of elastic members may be selectively connected between the foot end of the frame and the carriage to elastically bias the carriage toward the foot end of the frame.
The frame primarily comprises a pair of metal extrusion rail members spaced in parallel relation by a foot end support member and a head end support member. A pair of upright arm extensions are secured to the head end support member at the head end of each of the rails. A spring support bracket integral with the foot end support member is used to fasten one end of each of a plurality of springs.
The head end of the frame supports a pair of upright pulley support arms to which are fastened rope pulleys to permit the carriage to travel against spring tension the full length of the parallel tracks by the user pulling ropes fastened to the carriage and running through the pulleys.
The rail members of the frame are comprised of a single metal extrusion having a closed mid portion, an inner guide/support channel portion, and an outer T-slot portion. The frame may be formed in two removable sections, a head section and a foot section, to create a highly transportable and compact exercise apparatus. The two sections are joined by bayonet type tongues, which fit within the mid portions of the extrusion of the other section of the rail members.
The carriage assembly is captured between the rail members by a roller wheel and guide roller assembly in which four roller wheels ride in a guide/support channel in the extrusion rail members to hold the carriage onto the rails. The guide rollers ride in the same channel as the support roller wheels but engage the vertical wall of the support channel to prevent binding of the carriage on the rail members and minimize friction between the carriage and the rails.
The foot bar assembly is a generally U shaped bar member which is supported by a support bracket assembly which slides in the T-slot of the rail members and includes both horizontal and vertical foot bar positions along with various angular positions permitting the foot bar to be selectively positioned in a plurality of vertical positions from the carriage and the foot end of the frame.
In another embodiment of the reformer in accordance with the invention, the two frame sections may be telescopically joined, to create a collapsible telescopic frame that is also highly transportable and compact. Generally, in this embodiment, a pair of rail members of a first frame section are tubularly constructed, each having an open end. A pair of second frame section rail members are then telescopically received in the open ends of the first frame section rail members. The frame is selectively movable between a storage position in which the second frame section rail members are fully telescoped within the first frame section rail members and an extended operating position in which the second frame section rail members are fully extended from and retained by the first frame section rail members. In this alternative embodiment, the carriage assembly is captured between the rail members by two sets of wheel assemblies as in the first embodiment at the foot end of the rail members and two sets of wheel assemblies that ride on the head end rail sections.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein a particular embodiment of the invention is disclosed as an illustrative example.